Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Chapter 145

Richard

pov.

The parenting workshop was held in a cozy community center, the kind of place that smelled faintly of crayons and coffee.

The walls were plastered with cheerful posters about child safety and breastfeeding tips, which I pretended to read while we waited for the session to begin.

My hands fidgeted with the pamphlet they'd handed us at the door. It had a smiling cartoon baby on the cover and the words Parenting: You've Got This! in bold, bubbly letters. Somehow, I wasn't convinced. Sarah sat beside me, flipping through the same pamphlet, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Did you know that swaddling can reduce colic?" she asked, nudging me with her elbow.

"Nope," I said, glancing sideways at her. "But I guess we're about to become swaddling experts, huh?"

She laughed, a sound I hadn't heard enough of in the last few days. Ever since Marina had left, Sarah had been quieter, more introspective.

I could tell she was still processing everything, but we'd both been too drained to talk about it much.

The workshop leader, a woman named Jill, introduced herself at the front of the room. She was lively and energetic, wearing a bright yellow sweater that made her seem like the human embodiment of sunshine. "Welcome, everyone!" she chirped. "Today, we're going to focus on practical skills for new parents-things like diapering, soothing techniques, and building emotional resilience as a team."

I glanced around the room. Most of the couples looked just as nervous as I felt, their wide eyes darting between Jill and the tables of baby dolls set up for practice. Sarah, on the other hand, looked calm. Determined, even. The first exercise was diaper changing. Easy enough in theory, but I quickly realized that baby dolls were slipperier than they looked.

My hands fumbled with the tiny diaper tabs, and I muttered under my breath as I tried to secure them.

"Need some help?" Sarah asked, her tone light but teasing.

"I've got it," I muttered, though my doll's diaper was lopsided at best.

Sarah's hands were steady as she adjusted the doll's legs and expertly fastened the diaper in place. "See? Not so bad once you get the hang of it."

said, glaring at my crooked

smiled, her confidence infectious. "You'll get there.

Jill demonstrated different techniques:

cradled her doll, swaying gently as Jill had shown us. She looked

to mock me, its plastic head wobbling

it like a football," Sarah whispered, her

that what she called

literally like a football," she said, adjusting my hands with

I relaxed a little, letting

better," she said, and the pride in her voice made me feel like I'd just

side of parenting. "Becoming a parent is one of the biggest

unsure if you're ready. The important thing is to communicate with each other and remember that

if I'm ready? That hit

write down one fear we had

writing, her pen moving smoothly across the page. I stared at

my biggest fear? That I wouldn't be good enough? That I'd

vague:

by surprise. She'd

looked up at her, my throat tight. "You? Not patient enough? Sarah, you're one of the most

this is all new to me too, you know? I don't always feel as confident

off guard. I'd spent so much time worrying about my own insecurities, that I hadn't stopped to

the time the workshop ended, I was exhausted-not just from the activities

car, Sarah looped her arm through mine, her presence

she said,

you

laughing. "But